According to QNA, the Emir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani held a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. During the phone call, they reviewed the strategic relations between the two countries and means of enhancing them to advance the common interests.

A number of current issues were also discussed, particularly the fight against extremism and terrorism and the two countries' joints efforts in this field. The Emir and the US president also exchanged views on the latest events and developments on the regional and international stages.

This comes as Rueters reported that the Trump administration is postponing until September a summit with Gulf Arab leaders that had been planned for this spring amid the ongoing crisis in the region, according to five US officials.

The decision to delay the May summit with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council reflects a crowded diplomatic calendar and the fact that President Donald Trump is without a Secretary of State until the Senate confirms current CIA Director Mike Pompeo, two of the officials said.

Other sources, however, told Reuters the delay is also a nod to the fact that Washington has made little progress so far in ending the blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The dispute pits key US allies against each other and has complicated efforts to maintain a united front against Iran. So far, though, it has not affected the US air base in Qatar that supports attacks on Islamic extremists and surveillance of Iran -- both of which the Saudis and Emiratis support.

"This was entirely our decision," one U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said of the delay.

"We have too many irons in the fire in May," the official added, noting that Trump may be meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month and that Pompeo has yet to be confirmed to replace Rex Tillerson.

A spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council said the delay was not tied to the Gulf tensions, adding that, "President Trump is committed to resolving the dispute this month."

Trump met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House on March 21. He is due to meet with HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani next week, followed by a meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.

Cover image credit: Rueters